The Book:
NSFW by Isabel Kaplan
Published July 5th 2022 by Henry Holt and Co.
Date read: June 23, 2022
The Characters:
Unnamed
Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon
The Plot (from Goodreads):
From the outside, the unnamed protagonist in NSFW appears the vision of success. She has landed an entry-level position at a leading TV network that thousands of college grads would kill for. And sure, she has much to learn. The daughter of a prominent feminist attorney, she grew up outside the industry, better versed in gender dynamics than box office hits. But she’s resourceful and hardworking―what could go wrong?
At first, the high adrenaline work environment motivates her, yet as she climbs the ranks, she confronts the reality of creating change from the inside. Her points only get attention when echoed by male colleagues. She hears whispers of abuse and sexual misconduct. Her mother says to keep her head down until she’s the one in charge―a scenario that seems idealistic at best, morally questionable at worst.
When her personal and professional lives collide, threatening both the network and her future, she must finally decide what to protect: the career she’s given everything for or the empowered woman she claims to be.
The Review:
Thank you to Henry Holt for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
NSFW was an interesting look behind the scenes of the Hollywood TV scene. At times funny and other times deeply disturbing, this quick read drew me right in. The protagonist is struggling with imposter syndrome, workplace harassment, work-life balance, and a narcissistic parent. There’s a lot to unpack in this story, and it may not be suitable for all readers.
Since the protagonist was unnamed, it was easy to put myself in her shoes despite not having anything in common with her. The ending also more or less leaves things up to the reader’s interpretation. I thought this was an interesting way of showing that these things can happen to any woman.
I appreciated that NSFW was quick and to the point. It was the perfect length to get its point across without fatiguing the reader with heavy subject matter.
Overall, an interesting read about an important topic, but certainly not escapist by any means.
Audio Review: I appreciated being able to listen to the audiobook of NSFW. When I’m reading a book outside my preferred genres, I definitely find it easier to listen than to read a physical copy. Narrated by Stephanie Nemeth Parker, NSFW was a very quick listen at just 8 hours sped up above 2x speed. I believe Parker was a good fit for this unnamed protagonist, and enjoyed listening to her work.
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